Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Dancing with Passion

There is a
time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a
time to be born and a time to die . . . a time to weep and a time to
laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

I wear a few hats in life. In addition to being the Acts 2 Church administrative assistant, I also serve as the worship dance team leader, and outside of church life, I'm a published inspirational novelist. I often describe my writing as “lyrical stories that dance with
light.” My novels include books like, Dance of the Dandelion, Dance from Deep Within, and Love in Three-Quarter Time.Hmm.
Do you see a recurring theme here? Yes, I love dance. It’s a huge part
of who I am, how I live, how I write, and even how I relate to God.

I have had the
honor serving as a worship dance choreographer and director for the better part of twenty-two
years, and I have discovered that dance is at its core, a form of
communication. It can be used in as many ways as words themselves:
worship, praise, prayer, intercession, warfare, prophecy, evangelism,
teaching, and yes, even fun and entertainment.

Throughout
my writing, dance becomes a metaphor for life: for the willingness to
step beyond yourself, to embrace the wonder about you, to move in
harmony with the universe. Yet dance is an actual physical expression as
well. As joy and celebration build within, they require an outlet. And
so, our hands and feet begin to move, our bodies begin to sing and flow,
releasing emotions from our hearts and culminating in dance. Even
releasing the heavenlies deep within through our fingertips and toes.

Dance
is a fundamental form of human expression. It can be found throughout
history in nearly every culture. It can be found in the Old Testament as
a form of celebration, praise, and worship. Dance is often a community
expression, drawing us together in unity and love. David danced before
the Lord with all his might, and God was well pleased. Even Jesus spoke
of his frustration with the generation around him by saying in Matthew
11, "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.” Yet how often do we stifle this wondrous outlet?

Most churches today that incorporate contemporary choruses sing songs about dance. “Dance
with me, oh lover of my soul.” "Dancers who dance upon injustice.” “We
will dance on the streets that are golden.” “Dancing with my Father God
in fields of grace.” The list goes on and on, but do we take it
seriously, or do we stand still and sing the words, hampering our bodies
from becoming living, breathing expressions of praise.

Romans 12:1 instructs, "Therefore,
I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as
living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act
of worship." Of course this scripture has many applications, but I prefer to take it quite literally.I encourage you, in your church, at home, in your prayer closet, and
throughout your life to offer up your bodies as living sacrifices of
praise. Embrace and enjoy the wonder of dance. Take time to relate with
God through this amazing form of expression. And join me as I explore
the unforced rhythms of grace.

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About Me

Jesus is central to everything we do, and the Holy Spirit is welcome in our services. We invite you to join us
any Sunday at our casual, family oriented congregation. Please visit our website for more information.

Christi Sleiman: Acts 2 member on the go, college engineering student, overseas missionary, and children's worker. Visit Christi's blog here.Pastor Rob Stevenson:Our beloved founding pastor. Although he graduated to heaven in 2013, he lives on in all of our hearts.